Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-05-02

the agency is the specific means provided by
the State to secure these objects, and no 9TH
er means than the agency is provided, or is
allowable under the law. Hence the State
agency and the municipal agency have been
made an indispensable part of the statute
machinery, and around these strong safe
guards have been carefully placed. These
safeguards were revised and improved by
the recent legislature. The State agent is
paid by salary, and is allowed to have no inter-
est in his sales, ON which is charged six per
cent, and no more, to repay the State
| for its expenditures in maintaining the
agency, for freight, and the cost of assaying
the liquor. to make sure OF their purity. The
law guards the city agency with equal care,
requiring that the agent shall not be NUM-
| cipz officer, mus, have no interests 10 his
sales, must be paid by salary, and be gov
erned by such other restrictions as the city
authorities may provide. BY carefully study
| ing the law as wnoie, one
| plainly sees that there is no
discretion allowed the municipal authorities,
which may conflict with the main scope and
intent of the Law. which guarantees to all cit
iz-ns their right TO purchase alcoholic liquors
TOR medicinal and mechanical purposes, nor
does it allow them to drive citizens out OF the
State to purchase liquors tor the said pur-
poses, or compel them to connive with, or
| tempt, unauthorized dealers to break the law.
Thus II 10 obvious, that the agency Is as
much a part Of the prohlbtory system as the
provision which makes 1t crime to sell liq-
uors as beverage. No intelligent friend OF
the law will say it is possible to break the
10 in and II in annthar
without bringing it into contempt. George
Stephenson,o of illustrious memory construct
ed his locomotive to draw a train Of cars on
the railroad. Some one might as well have
told him that his locomotive would run just
as well by dispensing with one wheel, as that
person can say that our prohibitory system
will work just as well by knocking out the
agency, which its orginators and the State
have made necessary part of 1t. And IN
this regard our State system accords with the
provisions and policies OF every State and ev-
cry nation which has sought to restrict
the liquor traffic, whether their system
has been prohlbitory, local option, or high
license. The Uniform policy of all
mas been to safeguard the rights of the citizen
to purchase liz ors for mechanical, medicinal
and manufacturing purposes
To compel ali those citizens who wish to
use hitoHoiiN Aci "HN 'AN
chsnical purposes, to become parties to the
crime Of breaking the law, is an unwarrant
able procedure, is a wanton violation OF their
legal rights, is An outrage on public morality,
and can tend only to contempt for the law IT.
self, to obstrucL and paralyze all vigorous
efforts for its enforcement, to foster
duplicity, lying and fraud and TO keep
our city in hostile attitude to the authority
and policy of the State.
Some law abiding citizens are opposed to
the agency, it is admitted; but this can be
only because they have not carefully exam
ined the prohlbitory statute from beginning
to end. Or some of them may have arrived
to the conclusion that alcohol is unnecessary
for medicinal and mechanical purposes. But
the opinions of the latter. however sincerely
held, are completely outside OF the law and
policy Of the State, and are no more entitled
to interfere with the course OF the officers OF
city than have the views % that much larger
number no are hostile to all laws restricting
or prohibiting the sale of alcoholic liquors.
1t is time we all fully realized that we live
under u government of laws, and that the
public W Hare Is not at the mercy OF indvld-
ual opinions, of local preiudices, and OF or
gained interests which are hostile to the
safety and peace of our homes and to all
which the best men and women of the
country hold dear.
A CITIZEN OF AUGUSTA.